Fresh Strawberry Cake With Cream Cheese Icing

Fresh Strawberry Cake is my Mama’s favorite and a guaranteed showstopper. I mean look at this y’all. I’ve served this at baby showers, bridal showers, brunches and made for birthdays as well. My favorite place to serve it, though, is at my own dinner table.

When Are Strawberries In Season?

I’ve had strawberries on the brain lately. The national strawberry season can be January all the way through to November so it is usually easy to find them at stores. Prices may vary depending on the time of year you want them.   In deeper parts of the South they are usually ready for harvesting April and May.

When I get them I tend to eat them all on the way home, then throw the container in the trash on my way in the house. The trick is always to hide the evidence! So it’s a big restraint for me to have enough left to make fresh Strawberry Cake!

I mean Y’all, look at that beauty.  It tastes even better than it looks!

The ingredients you will need for the cake are:

• White cake mix
• Strawberry gelatin mix
• Cooking oil
• Milk
• Fresh strawberries
• Three eggs

• Wash your strawberries and cut the tops off, slice them up a bit.

• Put them in a big old plastic bag and crush them a bit. You can use a rolling pin if you want to be civilized but somedays call for a few fun karate chops!

*The amount of strawberries needs to be one cup after they are crushed, not before.

You can use any method of crushing that you like but I find a plastic bag and a can of somethin‘ works just great.

• In a large mixing bowl, place cake mix, milk, oil, eggs, and gelatin.

• Mix that up with an electric mixer until you have a smooth, creamy, pink batter, about two minutes.

• Add in your crushed strawberries, juice and all.
• Mix that up again.

• Now grease and flour two round cake pans.
• Divide your batter evenly among the cake pans
• Bake these at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and allow to sit in the pans for ten minutes before turning out to cool completely.

Now let’s make us some cream cheese icing.

Ingredients needed for cream cheese icing

• Cream Cheese (check out our recipe for easy-peasy homemade cream cheese).
• Butter
• Powdered sugar.

Important note: If you want to decorate your cake as I have done in these photos, you will need to double this recipe.

Another note: Your cream cheese and butter really need to be room temperature so set them out earlier in the day before starting this.

• Place your butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar in a bowl. Mix ’em up til they’re nice and creamy smooth, scraping down sides as needed.

• Ice your cake however you like.

Look how pretty this fresh strawberry cake is!

And this cake is just as delicious as it is pretty!

Now cut it quick! The youngun’s are a waitin’!

Store this cake in the refrigerator. It’s even better served cold!

Fresh Strawberry Cake With Cream Cheese Icing

Fresh Strawberry Cake is my mother’s favorite and a guaranteed showstopper. I mean look at this y'all. I’ve served this at baby showers, bridal showers, brunches and made for birthdays as well. My favorite place to serve it, though, is at my own dinner table.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: strawberry

Servings: 4

Calories: 393kcal

Ingredients

• 1 Package Plain White Cake Mix
• 1 Cup Chopped strawberries with juice
• 3/4 Cup Milk
• 1 Package Strawberry Gelatin 3 ounce
• 3/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 3 Eggs

Icing

• 8 ounce Cream Cheese room temp
• 4 Tablespoons butter room temp
• 3 Cups confectioner's sugar

Instructions

• Grease and flour two 8 inch round baking pans or one 9x13 inch pan.
• Wash and cut the tops of strawberries. Coarsely chop them. Gently mash strawberries by placing them in a large plastic bag and rolling over it with a rolling pin or large can.You need to measure out one cup once they are mashed.
• Place cake mix, milk, gelatin mix, vegetable oil, and eggs in large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about two minutes or so. Add in strawberries and juice, mix again until well combined. Pour into baking pans.
• Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If using two round pans, allow to sit for ten minutes before turning out of pans to cool completely. If baking in 9x13 pan, simply allow to cool in pan.
• Combine all icing ingredients and mix with electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Ice cooled cake.
• Store cake in refrigerator.
• Ice cake. Store in the refrigerator.

Notes

Important note: If you want to decorate your cake as I have done in these photos, you will need to double this recipe.

*Some people add 1/2 cup crushed, drained strawberries to this icing as well. I leave them out to make the cake a bit prettier and easier to ice but feel free to add them in for more great strawberry flavor! Just mix them in after your icing is smooth and creamy and all other ingredients have been added.

Another note: Your cream cheese and butter really need to be room temperature so set them out earlier in the day before starting this.

If you don't want to you can make this into a sheet cake as well.  This recipe would be good for a 9 x 13 sheet pan. 

Nutrition

Calories: 393kcal

Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

The versatility of strawberries…

There are so many strawberry dishes that I love. My personal favorite is my Mama’s strawberry pie, My husband’s favorite is Strawberry punchbowl cake, and my son favors good old fashioned strawberry shortcake. 

“The distance between who I am and who I want to be is separated by my actions.”

~Brian Solis

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